By JADE RUSSELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

jrussell@tribunmedia.net

SOME ZNS employees have secured five paid mental health days a year in a new industrial agreement between the Bahamas Communications and Public Officers Union (BCPOU) and the Broadcasting Corporation of The Bahamas, a rare benefit introduced as the government weighs making such leave mandatory nationwide.

It is unclear whether this is the first industrial agreement in the country to grant dedicated mental health leave, but BCPOU president Sherry Benjamin hailed the measure as a critical victory for reporters and cameramen who often cover traumatic scenes.

BCPOU president Sherry Benjamin said she was grateful for securing mental health leave for reporters and cameramen, explaining that the breaks are necessary because of the often gruesome nature of covering murder scenes, accidents, and other traumatising events. She noted that General Manager Clint Watson had agreed to the leave before official negotiations began.

Executive Chairman Picewell Forbes also noted the inclusion of five mental health days, calling it uncommon in other agreements. He praised the spirit of the negotiations, joking he was grateful they did not involve staff “walk outs.”

The four-year deal, signed yesterday and covering 2024 to 2028, also includes an overall salary increase of about six percent, longer maternity leave (13 weeks), extended paternity leave, meal and on-call allowances, and improvements to grievance procedures. Mr Forbes quipped he was grateful the negotiations did not involve staff “walk outs.”

The contract also introduces new salary scales, performance-based increments, and an 80/20 contributory healthcare plan. The value of the agreement was not disclosed.

The mental health provision reflects a growing debate over whether such leave should become a statutory right. Earlier this year, Labour Minister Pia Glover-Rolle said the government plans to introduce extended maternity, paternity, and mental health leave as part of long-delayed labour law reforms. Business groups, however, have warned that the costs could hit small firms hard.

Bahamas Chamber of Commerce and Employers’ Confederation president Dr Leo Rolle cautioned that while mental health leave “sounds like a great idea,” reforms must be phased in carefully. He warned of “financial implications” for businesses already burdened by high operating costs and said policies must be crafted in consultation with employers.